Nowadays, integrated circuits are utilized in a multitude of application fields such as in the area of sensors, actors, processors, memories and other technical fields. Frequently, combinations of the above-mentioned device types are used such as in the area of intelligent sensors comprising, next to the actual sensor elements, circuits with memories and arithmetic units for a compensation of environmental influences as well as other fabrication-related influences.
Integrated circuits are also used in the different levels of complexity. Thus, both simple electrical or electronic devices such as resistors, transistors, diodes or capacitors are manufactured in the form of integrated circuits as well as highly complex circuits for special applications enabling, for example, fast and efficient data manipulation or computation.
Integrated circuits often comprise electrical elements of substantial importance for the later application or intended use. In the case of sensors, the individual sensor elements, which are sensitive to physical, chemical, mechanical, electrical or biological influences to be acquired or detected, may be concerned. In the case of memories, these electrical elements may be memory cells, individual components thereof, that is, capacitors or transistors, for example, or other structures. Also in the field of other integrated circuits there frequently are electrical circuit elements having a certain bearing on the specific function or the general function of the integrated circuit. Electrical elements more or less irrelevant for the actual target function of the integrated circuit, which may, however, have a very important bearing on the fundamental functioning, are also often found in integrated circuits.
For cost-effective, reliable and safe fabrication of such integrated circuits, it is often advisable to evaluate design-specific, preparation-specific or other parameters having an undesired effect on such individual electrical elements of the integrated circuit concerned. So as to be able to account for these influences in design, process scheduling and other manufacturing steps, it may be advisable to investigate individual process steps with specific view to individual electrical elements so as to be able to introduce the respective results into the design or process scheduling.